The Year In Review

From the Collapsing Economy to a Historic Presidential Election, It’s Been Quite a Year

By Bill Krull

Against the gloomy backdrop of a tanking global economy, Americans elected Barack Obama as the first African-American president in the nation’s history. If, as presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin has observed, the times produce the leader, then the incoming President inherits a world filled with opportunity to become one the greatest leaders ever.

Obama’s election ignited pride in the hearts of nearly all Americans regardless of political affiliation. In a world that seemed to grow more dangerous by the moment and the 24-hour news cycle dominated by ever-increasing stories of pending financial collapse, war, mass fatalities and famine, Americans and the world took heart that this nation can and will produce unsurpassed hope and opportunity for the foreseeable future.

There’s plenty of opportunity for Obama to become a scapegoat instead of a hero. On Dec. 1, the National Bureau of Economic Research, an organization in charge of such things, declared the U.S. economy in recession. It has been there for a year. Their foundations shaken by the collapse of the real estate market when homeowners began defaulting on sub-prime mortgages, financial giants such as Bear-Stearns and Lehman Brothers disintegrated into bankruptcy.

Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, for nearly a century the pillars of American manufacturing prowess and might, tottered on the brink of collapse with their CEOs jetting to Washington D.C. to beg an unsympathetic Congress for $25 billion in bailout loans. This extraordinary spectacle of auto executives getting whipped up on by members of Congress was preceded in September by the passage of the historic $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in an attempt to staunch the bleeding of the world financial industry. The phrase “too big to fail” entered the world’s vocabulary.

Highlights & Lowlifes

The official 2008 president campaign that really started in 2007 began Jan. 3 when Obama and Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses. Hillary Clinton and John McCain surged back in the New Hampshire primary. By Super Tuesday in February, McCain rose once again from the death assigned to him by national pundits to become the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. The rest of the field quickly dropped out, leaving McCain as the presumptive nominee watching Obama and Clinton smack each other around.

To bolster an economy slammed by the double demons of the credit crunch and soaring energy prices, President George W. Bush proposed a $145 billion stimulus package. Congress passed it by an overwhelming majority. In his final State of the Union address, Bush acknowledged “economic uncertainty” while praising improving conditions in Iraq after nearly five years of struggle. In June, the US military announced that American fatalities in Iraq the month before dropped to 19, the lowest level since the war began in 2003. In the “other” war, the Taliban staged a deadly resurgence in Afghanistan.

A light at the end of the Iraq war tunnel appeared in August when the U.S. said it will withdraw combat troops from Iraqi cities by June 2009, followed by the removal of all combat troops by the end of 2011 as long as Iraq is stable and secure. The draft deal is part of a security pact that governs U.S. involvement in Iraq. The Iraqi National Assembly is currently debating the agreement.

On a brighter note, LSU won its second national championship of the millennium in football. The Tigers, as they did all season, came from behind to beat the top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 38-24. With the victory, the Tigers became the first two-time National Champion in the 10 year history of the BCS, adding onto their 2003 title. A review of the 2008 season is better left until next year.

The New York Giants ended the England Patriots perfect streak of wins with a 17-14 win in Super Bowl LXII (42). One of the game’s heroes, Plaxico Burress, literally and figuratively shot himself in the foot in a New York club in the final month of the regular 2008 season.

Obama and Clinton kept whacking on each other until the final primary in June in a bitter fight that saw Obama rolling gutter balls in a bowling alley and Clinton downing shots and beer in a Pennsylvania saloon. While Obama talked about people clinging to their guns, Clinton stuck to hers until the last gasp.

That saloon experience will serve her well in her new role as secretary of state in the inevitable showdown with Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. She should be able to match the Russian duo shot for vodka shot as the former Soviet Union seeks to re-establish itself as a world power. Medvedev, a former aide to, Putin won the Russian presidential election hands down in March.

Russia set the stage by invading former satellite Georgia and making friends with US-baiter and hater Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Another old US-hater, Fidel Castro, signaled the end of an era when he stepped down after ruling Cuba for nearly half a century. Maybe that will finally open the door to importing Cuban cigars to the US.

Elliot Spitzer showed once again the deadly effects of hubris. The former attorney general of New York, who prosecuted a prostitution ring in Staten Island and was a crusader against corporate crime, had to resign as the state’s governor after the New York Times disclosed his patronage of a $4,000 an hour prostitute.

Democratic candidate John Edwards of $400 haircut fame admitted to cheating on his wife while she was undergoing cancer treatment. He reportedly paid his girlfriend, Rielle Hunter, a videographer who worked on his campaign, more than $100,000 for services rendered—video services, that is.

In August, exhausted from his campaign battles with Clinton, Obama accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, the first African-American ever nominated by a major political party. Meanwhile, McCain’s campaign strategists put on their snowshoes and found a maverick moose skinner from Wasilla as his running mate. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin went on the attack, winking and droppin’ her G’s and tellin’ Joe it ain’t so. Tina Fey of 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live fame followed immediately. Whether or not the experience paved the way for Palin’s future political career remains to be seen, but it certainly worked wonders for Fey.

Joe the Plumber also got his 15 minutes of fame, maybe earning enough to pay his $2,000 tax lien and to pay for his plumber’s license. Now, a group of young Republicans have started a campaign to draft Joe for Congress. The campaign tag: “Plunge the crap out of Washington.” Good luck with that, Joe. Talk about making campaign promises you can’t keep. Especially when the substance in question is being generated faster than it can be disposed of.

Speaking of which, Hurricane Gustav, bearing down on Louisiana, was a party pooper, causing Republicans to dramatically scale back their convention in Minneapolis, mindful of the political effects of Hurricane Katrina. Gustav pretty much spared New Orleans but demolished much of Southeast and Central Louisiana. It took weeks to restore power in some parts of the state.

Nature as an irresistible force in 2008 dominated much of the world, national, state and local stage. Earthquakes, floods, typhoon and cyclones struck China, the Philippines, Myanmar and India, killing tens of thousands of people while tornados repeatedly ravaged the US Midwest and South, killing hundreds.

A total of 16 named storms formed during the 2008 hurricane season, including eight hurricanes, five of which were major hurricanes at Category 3 strength or higher. Overall, the season is tied as the fourth most active in terms of named storms (16) and major hurricanes (five), and is tied as the fifth most active in terms of hurricanes (eight) since 1944. For the first time on record, six consecutive tropical cyclones (Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike) made landfall on the U.S. mainland.

The 2008 Olympic Games opened in Beijing with 14,000 performers and 91,000 spectators in the National Stadium. Dancing, music, and fireworks entertained 840 million television viewers worldwide. U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps won his 11th career gold medal, becoming the first athlete in Olympic history to do so. Phelps won his eight gold medals, breaking the record set by Mark Spitz in the 1972 Games. Phelps also set the record for the most gold in a single Olympics.

The Writers Guild of America ended its strike, but most people haven’t noticed yet. No Country for Old Men won Best Picture, but not many people noticed that either, as the 80th Annual Academy Awards had its lowest television ratings ever. The latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight, starring the late Heath Ledger, was the top-grossing film of the year. We also got to see the return of Rocky and Indiana Jones. The literary world found its answer to the retired Harry Potter with Stephanie Meyer’s romantic vampire books, which dominated bestseller lists throughout the year.

As of this writing, the year still has nearly a month to go and certainly more history remains to be made. The terrorist siege of Mumbai, killing nearly 200, reminded us that it’s a dangerous world. Yet, with the end of presidential campaign between two gentlemen clearly uncomfortable with the Lee Atwater/Karl Rove politics urged upon them by their respective strategists, we’re entering the New Year with hope.

Louisiana and SWLA: The Way it Was in 2008

By Bill Krull




Louisiana people moved their Vision for a New Louisiana closer to reality when they inaugurated Bobby Jindal as the state’s governor on January 14, 2008. Citizens voted to hammer another nail in the coffin of old school politics and the good ol’ boy paradigm way of doing business, electing by a clear majority in the November election the first ever Indian-American governor.

Getting the people’s message, the state Legislature jumped on board, passing ethics legislation that grabbed national attention and other legislation that eliminated the Stelly Tax, improved the state’s business environment while they revamped the Workforce Commission, and passed critical coastal restoration measures.

In response, the nation’s top three ratings agencies, Fitch, Moody’s and Standard & Poor, raised the Louisiana bond ratings in recognition of the state’s progress. The three rating upgrades, like higher credit scores, typically mean better borrowing terms that can save the state millions of dollars.

“We got three turns at the plate, three chances to show the financial world that Louisiana is making wise fiscal decisions and is very much open for business, and we came away with three solid hits,” Jindal said. “These three ratings upgrades are great news, but we know we still have a lot of work to do to continue to improve our ratings and to foster more business investment and greater job creation so our kids don’t have to leave home to pursue their dreams.”

Just to make things interesting, the Ledge took close aim and shot itself square in the foot, winging Jindal in the shoulder with the same bullet by voting itself a massive pay raise. Jindal, who earlier promised not to veto a pay raise, reneged and vetoed it after being deafened by a 200-decibil cry of outrage from a very ticked-off public.

Voters also kept veterans Senator Mary Landrieu and Congressman Charles Boustany in office while John DeRosier retained his job as Calcasieu Parish District Attorney.

Building for the future

Although swamped in September by a hurricane with a storm surge bigger and more destructive than the infamous Audrey, Southwest Louisiana took a leading role in the state’s Vision through initiatives such as the $90 million bond project approved by Lake Charles voters the previous year and efforts by such groups as Vision Calcasieu, the local Blueprint Louisiana delegation and the Southwest Louisiana Alliance for Economic Development.

While the planting of a dozen palm trees at the Lake Charles Civic Center drew some criticism—too much money for trees and things aren’t moving fast enough, some said—they symbolized the commitment of the people to achieving the vision of a New Louisiana.

“Although the trees by themselves won’t create jobs or bring in investors, they symbolize the very high quality of our commitment to build a bright future for all of Southwest Louisiana,” said Lori Marinovich, head of the downtown and lakefront development initiatives. “We’re not undergoing a short-term renovation project, we’re truly building for the future to make the quality of life here the standard for the nation for generations to come.”

The cultural life of a region is vital to its quality of life, and groups such as the Du Lac Merchants Group and Poor Pony as well as McNeese Banners, the Louisiana Choral Foundation, Downtown at Sundown and Louisiana Crossroads at Central School contributed by hosting or sponsoring a wide range of events. The Southwest Louisiana community made these outstanding events possible by working together throughout the five-parish area.

Education

Education is vital to the Vision of a New Louisiana in terms of reducing poverty, providing a high quality workforce to match business and industry needs and attracting and retaining people. The area leads the state in the effort. Calcasieu’s dropout rate decreased from 3.2 percent in 2007 to 2.1 percent in 2008 while 2007-08 school performance scores show Calcasieu Parish high schools meeting and exceeding many of the goals set for 2014.

“That defies every dropout statistic across the nation,” said Pat Deaville, director of curriculum and instruction for high schools in the parish. “They say it can’t be done, but we’re doing that right now. Also, the number of high school students graduating with extra credentials rose from 41.3 percent in 2007 to 50.7 percent in 2008.”

Calcasieu, the largest of the top 10 districts, was in seventh place with an 80.4 percent graduation rate. Cameron had the highest at 88.7 percent; Beauregard was second, 87.3 percent; Allen third, 84.5 percent; and Jeff Davis ninth, 79.4 percent.

New jobs

The Lake Charles Port Authority was chosen for the $115 million Westinghouse nuclear reactor component plant to be built by the Shaw Group. The venture will bring an estimated 1,500 high-paying jobs in welding, process technology and design, and will create 2,000 more throughout the community. That project is in addition to the $1.6 billion cogeneration project currently underway at the port.

Northrop Grumman and Aeroframe are expanding at Chennault International Airport, thanks to a $1.5 million economic development grant from the state. The expansion will help retain about 500 existing jobs and add about 130 new ones. The Pinnacle Entertainment Group began construction on its proposed $350 million Sugarcane Bay resort to go along with its thriving L’Auberge du Lac.

Alliance’s capital campaign

In September, the Alliance launched its first capital campaign to raise $2.65 million with an eventual expected return on investment (ROI) of $270 million year. Before the launch, though, the Alliance did exhaustive research to found out what the community needed and wanted. They held focus groups and town-hall meetings to get a cross-section of community viewpoints—not just the big guys but also the average citizen—the Joe Sixpacks on Main Street. They pored over reams of spreadsheets and talked to leaders in other parts of the nation whose regions lead the nation in economic development.

“It was a massive effort—not just the work of just a few people with a narrow range of interests,” said Glenn Pumpelly, one of the campaign’s co-chairs. “We got the people’s ideas because this really isn’t about raising money or even economic development. It’s about people—making their lives better. It’s about people having good, secure jobs, good schools for their children, a quality of life that keeps our best and brightest at home and attracts the best to Southwest Louisiana because this is where the opportunity is. It’s about people, for people and it’s going to work because the people are going to make it work.”

Hurricanes Redux

Louisiana hosted two unwelcome guests, Gustav, with Ike hard on its heels—two hurricanes that fortunately didn’t take the human toll their 2005 predecessors took—but caused record damage. Six consecutive named storms — Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike — struck the U.S. mainland, something that had not been seen in recorded history. The cost of the two storms is still being calculated but will probably exceed $100 billion.

Still, the response in the state and Southwest Louisiana before, during and after the hurricanes, illustrated the progress Louisianans have made towards achieving their vision. The evacuation at the Civic Center during both hurricanes was incredible, with city, parish, state and volunteers from non-profits working around the clock for days on end.

“I’ve never been more proud of the people of our state, particularly here in Southwest Louisiana,” Jindal said. “I wish the national media could’ve been here to see how well we recovered after the storms. I want to thank the local Southwest Louisiana leadership; they’ve worked together, they’ve spoken as one voice, which makes it easier at the state level. We’ve got the mayors, the sheriffs, the police juries all working together; it makes it very, very easy for the state to work with the local community when we all speak with one voice. When people ask if Louisiana was prepared for Gustav, Ike or any future storm, the answer is ‘Yes,’ and the reason is our people. They’re strong; they’re resilient. We’ve proved we’re up to any challenge.”

Giving Her All: The Times Person of the Year 2008, Rosalie “Poddy” Leveque Champeaux

By Lisa Yates
Editor, The Times


For her numerous contributions to Southwest Louisiana – including starting the Children's Miracle Network at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital in 1987 - Rosalie Marie “Poddy” Leveque Champeaux is this year's “Times Person of the Year.”

Although this year's “Person of the Year” was a well-kept secret, word leaked out to a couple of Champeaux's friends and colleagues, who wanted to express their appreciation to her.

Pam Alston, who has known Champeaux for more than 40 years, expressed respect and admiration for her friend.

“She's always there for the CMN kids,” she said. “She's very giving of herself.”

Alston is also the mother of Rick Alston – Children's Miracle Network Kid, 1996. When her son was diagnosed with a brain tumor, he had brain surgery to remove the right side of his brain. In addition, he required multiple radiation treatments to his brain and spine.

“I believe he was the first radiated child at St. Pat's,” Alston said.

“On the last day of his radiation treatments, Poddy and a representative from the national CMN surprised us at the hospital with balloons and a cookie cake. They were there at 5 a.m. - these procedures are scheduled early in the morning at the hospital. My son appreciated the visit so much. It was wonderful!”

Bernard Leger, Hospital Administrator of CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital, extended his appreciation on behalf of all CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital associates for Champeaux's years of dedication and hard work.

“Poddy Champeaux has made a tremendous impact on children’s health in our community,” he said. “She is a strong voice and advocate for pediatric care and preventive education. CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital was honored to have been chosen 21 years ago as the Children’s Miracle Network hospital for this region. Today we remain dedicated to continuing and expanding the efforts she began as our CMN director. Under her guidance, CMN was able to not only support hospital-based health care, but also fund children’s health initiatives in Southwest Louisiana through other non-profit organizations.”

For anyone out there who may not be familiar with Champeaux, her lifetime of community service projects is too detailed to list individually.

Champeaux, who recently turned 70, has been a board member of 20 nonprofit organizations, has received more than 30 community honors and is involved in more than 40 community organizations.

She is a former nurse, CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital Director of the Senior Membership Program VIP 50+ and Director of the Children's Miracle Network for Southwest Louisiana. From a pioneer family, Champeaux is a native and lifelong resident of Lake Charles, whose philanthropy work has made her an icon in the community.

Just Poddy

But most people just call her “Poddy.”

Just how did she get that nickname?

“One of my great aunts was also named Rosalie,” Champeaux said. “When I was very young, my parents said I pronounced a 'P' before my words. So when I went to say her name, it came out 'Poddy Dee' and that just stuck. Everyone just started calling me Poddy.”

When her husband Joe called to ask her out on a first date, her mother answered. He was surprised to hear her mother calling “Poddy” to the phone. Joe asked her to explain the name.

“I told him and he's called me Poddy ever since,” she said.

Family life

Champeaux said her husband always supported her in her career, and in everything in her life.

“I married my best friend,” she said.

She is married to Joe Champeaux, a local architect. They are the proud parents of three daughters and “sons” - Renee and her husband Frank Wood of Lake Charles, Cherise and her husband Chris Sale of Baton Rouge, and Annette and her husband Blake Cotton, also of Baton Rouge.

Champeaux described her six grandchildren as “beautiful, intelligent, full of personality and talented.” They are: Ashley and Frankie Wood, André and Simone (Simi) Sale, Peggy “Marie” and Camille Cotton.

“Work was always very, very important to me, but my husband and family are my world,” Champeaux said.

Faith is also very important in her life.

“I have a deep relationship with God,” Champeaux said. “I thank him all of the time. I have a beautiful life filled with family, friends and many opportunities. Hopefully, I've made a difference in their lives, too.”

She said her parents taught her to place God first in her life.

“I believe learning takes place, first, on the parents' knees when a child is born. They are your first teachers. In my family, God always came first, and he still does,” Champeaux said.

She and her husband are members of Our Lady Queen of Heaven, Immaculate Conception Cathedral Church and St. Martin DePorres Church.

“My great aunt Julia Leveque was the first graduate of Catholic school in Lake Charles - St. Charles Academy,” Champeaux said. “She later became a nun.”

Champeaux graduated from St. Charles Academy, which is now St. Louis High School. There she received the coveted “Spirit Award.”

She graduated first in her class from Hotel Dieu School of Nursing and Loyola University in New Orleans, where she was named an outstanding graduate.

Nursing

Champeaux's older sister inspired her into choosing nursing as a profession.

“I grew up with a wonderful mother, daddy and sister,” she said. “My sister was beautiful, compassionate and caring. She always wanted to be a nurse. I watched her graduate nursing school; and, I would go and visit her. I've always admired her and loved her – not just as a sister, but as a dear, dear friend.”

When it came time for her to choose a profession, Champeaux didn't think she would make a great nurse, like her sister. She loved to act and sing.

“I wanted to be in theatre – in Hollywood, or on Broadway,” she said. Since age 3, she has been performing on stage.

When she was young, she started to make a list of things she always wanted to do. There were three things on it: Sing for the Pope in Rome; sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; and, sing at Carnegie Hall.

“Dreams do come true,” Champeaux said.

As a member of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Chorale Club, she participated in a Pilgrimage to Rome during the fall of 1998, where she sang for the Pope!

In 2004, she sang with the Morman Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City, as an invited guest. The performance was recorded on a CD, which is in Utah. Champeaux doesn't have it, but she said would love to get a copy.

“This December, I'll be going with Paul Groves to Carnegie Hall,” she said.

She laughingly said she will slip her foot on stage and sing a few notes! Something similar to that happened, when she visited the Sydney Opera House.

“I was on tour with a group of friends,” she said. “We were on stage and the guide asked if anyone in the group liked to sing.”

Champeaux's friends pointed to her, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sing on the stage of the Sydney Opera House presented itself. She sang!

Even though she never pursued theatre as a career, she managed to fulfill her life's ambitions – and, more.

“Part of my life's journey was to have parents, who had to wisdom to point me in the right direction,” Champeaux said.

When she told her father she wanted to go into acting, he said “no.”

“My daddy had a medical background – he was a dentist, who graduated from Loyola in New Orleans,” Champeaux said. “So, I asked him what were my choices. He said I could become a teacher, go into home economics, or become a nurse. Since my sister was a nurse, and a role model, I picked nurse.”

Women didn't have a lot of choices like today, she said. If she had the opportunity, she would have become a doctor – like her father, she said.

Children's Miracle Network

“Starting the Children's Miracle Network at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital in 1987, was one of the greatest, rewarding, significant and memorable experiences of my life,” Champeaux said. “This was made possible because of the beautiful friendships I made throughout the years with the hospital associates, sponsors, donors, volunteers, the community, the kids and their families.”

She said her philosophy has always been that children are precious gifts and caring for their health and well-being are not just a responsibility, but a privilege.

How did it all begin?

Champeaux retired from her work as a registered nurse to be a stay-at-home mom. However, she continued serving the community as a successful fundraiser, board member and volunteer.

During a casual lunch, Craig Shaddock, the director of nursing at the hospital, asked her to come back to work.

She accepted. Soon after returning to work, Champeaux was asked to work in philanthropy, continuing her successful fundraising efforts for the hospital. She did, bringing in top entertainers like Crystal Gayle and Bill Cosby were brought in to perform at local fundraising functions.

“One day we got a call from a man with the Children's Miracle Network telling us that St. Patrick's hospital has been chosen to be the home of CMN,” she said. “It became one of only 170 hospitals in a nationwide network.”

Champeaux said it was a win-win for the the community. Her salary as director, and overhead costs, were paid by the hospital enabling funds to go straight to health care for children. She said every dollar raised stays in the community helping children in Southwest Louisiana.

Over the years, many children in Southwest Louisiana benefited as a result of Champeaux's fundraising leadership. But, she credited the generosity of people in the area for the success of CMN.

“We live in an area rich in tradition,” she said. “Our love of life. Our love of family and the ability to give our time and hearts completely to others is unmatched by any other culture. To say that we have a generous community, is an understatement. When there is a need, you can count on the people of this community to come through every time.”

She said Robin D'Augeaux with KPLC TV was instrumental in joining with CHRISTUS St. Patrick's Hospital as a partner to do the telethon.

“Mari Wilson is now the program director for KPLC/CMT,” Champeaux said. “Another huge supporter is GAP Radio. They do our annual radiothon.”

Retirement

Champeaux retired on June 30, 2008.

“My last order of business was to purchase AEDs to go into the schools,” she said. “It started as an initiative with Calcasieu Parish Superintendent of Schools Wayne Savoy after a basketball player in Westlake passed out on the court at school. Luckily, someone across the street had an AED.”

An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias in patients, and is able to treat them through defibrillation – the application of electrical therapy, which stops arrhythmia allowing the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.

AEDs are designed to be simple to use for the layman, and the use of AEDs is taught in many first aid classes.

Now every public and private school in the parish will have this lifesaving device, as a result of the partnership with CMN and the Calcasieu Parish School Board.

“St. Pat is providing the training, so school officials will know how to use them properly,” Champeaux said. “Now everyone can rest a little easier.”

She is confident her successor, Kay Morgan, will manage this and future projects successfully.

“I've had my eye on her for a couple of years,” Champeaux said. “I know she'll take the ball and run with it. Shes giving, loving and dedicated. She'll continue with the work of helping children throughout the years to come.”

Champeaux said her work is like her child. She watched it grow, but now it's grown and she is turning it over to someone else. However, she vowed to stay involved.

“It's hard to retire,” she said. “I miss the kids and their families. It's just been an honor to work with them. I miss the staff at the hospital, the administrators and associates. They all got behind CMT. They were the nucleus behind it, making it succeed.”

Champeaux defined what it takes to succeed as a fundraiser, and in general. She said four qualities are necessary: passion, motivation, energy and a positive attitude.

“Attitude is everything,” she said. “Sometimes we forget we can build a healthy attitude by getting involved in something greater than ourselves.”

She learned this lesson from her grandmother, who taught her to rise above circumstances and choose a positive attitude each and every day.

“She never knew a bad day,” Champeaux said. “Her positive attitude was so strong, I wanted to be just like her. She left a legacy for all of us that became her motto – live, love, laugh.”

It's the ones who say “I will” – not “I wish” – who will get the most out of life, she said.

“The 'I will' is the most important thing,” Champeaux said.

She carried this positive attitude, even after being diagnosed with cancer.

“In 2000, I was diagnosed with colon cancer,” she said. “I thank God for putting me in that situation. Priorities in life become very real. Things that we worry and fret about, aren't even on the list after that – not even the top 20.”

As a nurse, Champeaux knew the diagnosis was serious. She could have one only one more day, or many years.

“I decided each day is going to be for God and dedicated to doing what he wants me to do,” she said. “He's carried me through.”

Like a song

Often times a person will find there's a song that best describes them. Champeaux shared some lyrics to a song she described as deeply meaningful and relevant to her life. They are as follows:

I believe there
are angels among us

sent to us from
Heaven above.

They come to us in
our darkest moments

to teach us how to live
to show us how to give
to guide us from the light above.

She said, “The words to this song perfectly describes to me the awesome angels I have met and loved throughout my lifetime – my family, friends, and all of the courageous children and their families. The dedicated doctors and nurses, my wonderful CMN staff, associates and volunteers, who have been an integral part of God's journey for me these past 25 years at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital.”